Portland Transit Agency Faces Budget Deficit: Cost-Cutting Measures

Introduction

TriMet announced this week the elimination of 68 staff positions as part of a $17.7 million cost reduction plan to address the Portland, Oregon, transit agency’s ongoing structural budget deficit.

Staff Reductions

The staff reductions include the layoffs of 26 nonunion employees. Some unionized employees were transferred to other jobs due to their positions being among those eliminated, TriMet officials said. The transit agency is offering severance and reemployment assistance to the 26 terminated employees.

Cost-Cutting Measures

The staff reductions follow months of workforce analyses and other cost-cutting measures, including a hiring freeze, spending cuts, and efforts to identify internal efficiencies, agency officials said.

Financial Challenges

Like many transit agencies, TriMet is facing ballooning maintenance, operational, and security costs, paired with lower revenue from decreased ridership after the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the agency’s service cut information webpage.

Conclusion

TriMet is implementing a $17.7 million cost reduction plan, which includes eliminating 68 staff positions, to address its budget deficit. The measures follow workforce analyses and other cost-cutting efforts in response to increasing costs and lower ridership revenue.

TriMet

TriMet is a transit agency serving Portland, Oregon.